Okay, that title is a bit melodramatic, but I am seriously embarrassed to admit how much money we have been wasting on car insurance. No, this is not a paid, sponsored post. This is me finally getting around to something that has been on my to-do list for ages: finding cheaper car insurance.

Years ago, I was with GEICO and loved them. They saw me through a stolen car and an accident that left my car and me in a ditch (in the middle of the night in rural Louisiana to be rescued by volunteer firefighters). 

When we bought our house in 2008, Matt found us new insurance with Nationwide

Matt and I are in the final stretch of finalizing our house design and the construction budget. With a construction loan, we will have to pay a down payment + closing costs on the total cost of the house. Then, at the end of construction, we will have to pay closing costs again to covert the construction loan into a 30-year fixed loan. 

We haven’t yet filled out the bank paperwork to see what we can qualify for. I’m terrified that we won’t have enough money. I’m so eager to get settled and to take advantage of the amazingly low interest rates right now, but it’s not the best time

Last week, M.S. left a comment on this post that said: “I’d love to know more about how you and your husband budgeted the amount
of money you would need to save to transition into a family and work
less than full-time for a while after Henry was born. There is
surprisingly little information out there for couples on this topic.”

For as long as I can remember, I knew that I either wanted my partner or me to stay home with our child in the early years. It just seemed like it would be natural and healthy for their development. At one point several years ago, Matt said he